The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-03
THE GIFTS OF EASTER DAY.
DECORATED AND COLORED EGGs
STILL A GO.
Cards, Plush Pillows, Hand Painted
Sacheis OF odd Designv-PuTpIe
the Preferred Color.

Busy! L should think SOL! said
a dealer yesterday. You must ex-
cuse me if go on with my work.
can talk just as we'll, and really
can afford to waste any time. Am
| going to make cake2 No, indeed.
Don't you see, all these eggs are just
empty shells? They have to be dec
GRATED for Faster, and Easter, let me
remind you, is not very far of. l
have sixteen eggs to decorate and
only two finished. See, there is one
on that table Don't you think it's a
good caricature? | have been all
morning at it. The rest won't be so
troublesome. | am just going to
paint flowers and butterflies and
spider and things on them and then
do the Easter wishes in gold letters.
| dare say | shall hate the sight of
eggs before | have finished. Really,
one hears great deal about 'Lenten
leisure, but | am inclined TO
think it only exists nowadays
for the caterers and walters
and the rest of those people to
whom the party season gives extra
work. As for the rest Of us, we have
as much to do in Lent as at any
other time, though the occupations
may be little less amusing. What
with church going and doing ones
spring shopping, and arranging elab-
crate fish Immersion one must en-
terrain little, you know-there is
plenty to do, and then any spare time
there is is taken up with providing
Easter presents. You didn't know
Easter gifts were necessities? But
they are. Yes, they have recently
become fashionable, and this year
Easter offerings are much more the
thing than Christmas gifts; people
who didn't dream of sending cards
last Christmas will cast them about
wholesale at Easter. Why, surely
you have noticed how much more
beautiful and artistic the Easter
cards are than the Christmas ana
New Year ones werep That tells
tale, you know. Some of them are
really lovely and so elaborate,
A friend of mine showed me
one the other day which he
intends sending to his fiancee.
1t is cream colored plush pillow,
mounted on pale violet ground aud
decorated with hand painted hello
trope and anemones. There is Dor
der of tiny cream ostrich tips, which
are caught down here and there with
lovely little birds and butterflies of
filigree silver. Yes, many of the
cards have texts on them, but there
are numbers without any scripturaI
illusions at all, and some OF them are
even intended to be humorous, which
seems curious idea, doesn't it? [
saw one which represents man who
has fallen down and upset a basket
Of eggs, and underneath was some
thing Of this sort;
You'd have more chan GO for Easter eggs
fyou'd talent enough to keep your legs.
Were comic easter cards ever
heard OF before, | wonder?
What sort of Easter offerings are
usually made? Oh, anything does,
provided it is fresh and dainty and
spring like. Lots of Easter sachets
are made, and Easter goblets, like
this one of ribbon, are new. What
is it fort Oh, it is to be used as
receptacle for jewelry and knick-
knacks. AS for Easter sachets, they
are just like any other sachets, ex- |
cept that they are always white aud |
are embroidered or painted, usually |
with some purple flowers. Purple
seems to be the special Easter color.
Any shade of it is allowable, but
there is not much choice, for there
are 20 fw purple flowers. BY the
time yOI have made use Of hello
uop", aSters, anemones and clematis
the jt,t 10 pretty well exhausted, for,
OF cour,', pansies aud violets are too
hackneyci. Red and bright yell |
low fiowcTs are not permitted, |
but apple blossoms may be |
used and are very fresh and |
charming. Hanging pin cushions
make very pretty presents, and there |
is quite a rage for them just now.
| have just finished one of pale
primrose colored satin, the center of |
moss green, worked with n spray OF |
primroses. On the whole | think a
pretty decorated basket filled with
natural flowers is the most accepta-
BILE of Easter gifts. The 'isherwom-
an basket is the best shape for the
purpose. The lower part can be
covered with n wide hoy Dleatinp of
ribbon, and similar ribbon wound !
closely about the handle and tied in
large butterfly bows at the bottom of |
the handle on one side and just where |
it turns on the other. The flowers
should be all of one kind and the
basket may either match or be OF a
contrasting color. A basket trimmed
with white and filled with La France
roses and fine ferns would be lovely"